The importance of HTTPS

This is a short non-technical post about the importance of using an HTTPS connection when your browse the web. It explains the foundation of our strict SSL policies at Didacte.

What are HTTPS & SSL?

The HTTP protocol allows you to surf the web. It is now so common, browsers don’t even show it in the address bar anymore!

When you visit an HTTPS website, the content between your computer and the internet is exchanged using the additional SSL protocol that encrypt the data exchanged between you and the server to prevent spying and hacking.

Think Confidentiality Too

People first think about hackers and security when they think HTTPS, but confidentiality is another very important issue. Let me give you an example of how using HTTPS improve your privacy.

Let’s say you visit google.com and search something like :

http://www.google.com/?query="online parenting classes"

Since your connection is not secure, everyone on your network might now be aware that you want to be a good parent. Not important you think?

If you happen to do this search while at your office during lunch time, your very evil boss might like to know that you look forward having kids and might then decide to give the big promotion you expected to someone else. Oops!

Note that Google automatically enforce HTTPS so you won’t be spied on right there, but as soon as you click on a result that is not using HTTPS connection, you might be exposed to your boss spying team.

This is a concrete example of why Google now use SSL as a ranking signal and others internet giants encourage webmasters to use HTTPS to protect their visitors.

We enforce HTTPS here at Didacte to better protect you and your customers (and improve your ranking at the same time).